Paramedics take 29 minutes to reach Outaouais mayor who fainted at council meeting

The warden for one western Quebec municipality says there's a need for more ambulances in the region after one of the municipality's mayors fainted at a recent council meeting.

It took 29 minutes for paramedics to arrive at the MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau council meeting on Jan. 21, according to La coopérative des paramédics de l'Outaouais.

That's despite the fact the meeting is held "30 seconds away" from the paramedic station in Gracefield, Que., said Chantal Lamarche, warden for the municipality.

The delay occurred because the ambulances which serve the area were all occupied, Lamarche said, and one had to be brought in from another region.

"It was long, very long," Lamarche told Radio-Canada in French.

"But I want to emphasize that the ambulance drivers did an excellent job. It's not their fault. There is simply a lack of ambulances."

Health minister notified

While another ambulance could be added to Gracefield to avoid further situations like this, Lamarche said she's not sure the Quebec government will want to pay for it.

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Gatineau MNA Robert Bussière told Radio-Canada he was aware of the incident and had spoken with Christian Dubé, the province's minister of health and social services, about it. 

"Last spring, additional hours were confirmed in a station in the MRC des Collines de l'Outaouais (which supports the MRC la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau as needed)," Bussière wrote in a French statement.

"We continue to work closely with the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) and Santé Québec."